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Topic: Roeselare Blend (Read 2489 times)

I was thinking about using Roeselare Blend to make a Flemish red in a 26-gal barrel. Per Wyeast, I'm not supposed to make a starter as I'll disturb the precise proporations of brewers yeast, lacto, brett, flor and pedio. Should I then pitch 5 or 6 separate packages of Roesealare? Call me cheap but I'm hoping to avoid that expense. Is there a different/better way?

make starters of each of the yeasts and bacteria on their own and blend them (after doing cell counts and analysis) to the proportions you determine through examination of a single pitch of the blend from whitelabs?

personally I'd either pitch the proper number of tubes (if I was attached to theoretically having exactly the same pitch as roeselare uses) or brew a 3 gallon batch with 1 tube and repitch into the big batch.

isn't it common perception that this blend is better on repitch anyway?

I've used roesalare twice, on the same day, and just added my fruit additions this past weekend, so I don't have the real experience. However, my answer would be that it depends on if you were shooting for an exact result of an upscaled 5 gallon batch. If so you need five packs. Trying to grow it up in a starter, they say, will alter the percentages of the original blend because the saccharomyces is going to reproduce at a different rate than the bugs. In other words, you're pitching roesalare into the starter but in a couple days it won't be roesalare any more. It will be a lot more saccharomyces than the original.

I've wondered the same thing in terms of repitching the slurry - I chickened out and got more fresh yeast/bugs with a new vial...but a neighbor says that the bugs will be fine on the re-pitch, so your choice. With such a big batch, though, it is a risk. You could up your odds by including some lactose or maltodextrine in the wort - something that only the bugs can ferment.

That's entirely likely Jonathan. In either case, if you are doing a sanitary starter of a homogeneous yeast, it should result in more of the same. But something tells me that sac yeast, lacto, bret, and pedio dont all reproduce at the same rate under the same conditions. So a blend starter won't have the same percentages of each at the end. Though if you were going to let the beer ferment for a long time it might turn out very similar in the end as each bug develops and does its job. Maybe someone should do a side by side experiment with triangle tasting.

I think that the yeast is the first to the table, but the bugs can consume a more diverse set of "nutrients". But that is just based on my recollection of Michael Tonsmeire's NHC talk - I haven't gotten through his book, yet.

Did you plan to make several 5 gallon batches to fill the barrel or do you have a larger capacity?

The balance of yeast/bacteria in Roselare is supposed to allow Lacto to produce sufficient acidity before alcoholic fermentation begins. It also has enough sacch to complete primary fermentation so that the bretta will work during conditioning.

Lactic acid production is the main point. You want lactobacillus to produce acid before alcoholic fermentation begins.

I've never filled a barrel, but I would attack it like this:

If you're making multiple batches to fill the barrel, take advantage of it. Sour some the batches with a pure lacto culture (Wyeast 5335) or a sour mash (I recommend the former). For the others, pitch rehydrated dry yeast for a clean primary fermentation. Pitch the Roselare blend in one of the 'clean' batches along with the dry yeast.

When the batches have soured / completed fermentation, allow them to settle and then rack into the barrel. This will minimize trub/yeast carryover.

The blend of sour/'clean' batches is up to you - depends how sour you like it.

If you can make 25-30 gal in one shot, I would pre-sour the batch, pitch plenty of yeast + the blend, then rack to the barrel after primary is complete.

Did you plan to make several 5 gallon batches to fill the barrel or do you have a larger capacity?

The balance of yeast/bacteria in Roselare is supposed to allow Lacto to produce sufficient acidity before alcoholic fermentation begins. It also has enough sacch to complete primary fermentation so that the bretta will work during conditioning.

Lactic acid production is the main point. You want lactobacillus to produce acid before alcoholic fermentation begins.

I've never filled a barrel, but I would attack it like this:

If you're making multiple batches to fill the barrel, take advantage of it. Sour some the batches with a pure lacto culture (Wyeast 5335) or a sour mash (I recommend the former). For the others, pitch rehydrated dry yeast for a clean primary fermentation. Pitch the Roselare blend in one of the 'clean' batches along with the dry yeast.

When the batches have soured / completed fermentation, allow them to settle and then rack into the barrel. This will minimize trub/yeast carryover.

The blend of sour/'clean' batches is up to you - depends how sour you like it.

If you can make 25-30 gal in one shot, I would pre-sour the batch, pitch plenty of yeast + the blend, then rack to the barrel after primary is complete.

Thanks for the insight. This should be easy for me to do as I do sour worting for Berliner Weiss. I will probably brew 2 batches and possibly topoff with some Berliner Weiss in case I run out of the Flemish red before filling the barrel. I might go 100% lacto (no yeast) in one fermentors, mixed in another, Roeselare in another, and clean in the other one to three fermentors.

100% Lacto would run into some issues IMHO. Usually guys go with a sour mash or souring of the wort by pitching lacto, but then pitch Sacc when it gets to the point of being sour enough (days, not weeks, typically with this approach). You are blending, so you may be able to save that batch for blending more in the future, if it gets a bit too strong on the sour note. But sour is relative, just like hoppiness, I guess. Some guys can't get enough of that sour - I prefer a bit of sour and mostly like the funk. YMMV, of course.

Served a near 100% lacto BW at the last homebrew meeting without syrup. Too sour for some, not too sour for others. I would monitor the lacto ferment for the Flemish Red so it doesn't go off the charts.

Served a near 100% lacto BW at the last homebrew meeting without syrup. Too sour for some, not too sour for others. I would monitor the lacto ferment for the Flemish Red so it doesn't go off the charts.

I have yet to have a Flanders Red that was too sour. Too acetic, yes; too sour, no.

Served a near 100% lacto BW at the last homebrew meeting without syrup. Too sour for some, not too sour for others. I would monitor the lacto ferment for the Flemish Red so it doesn't go off the charts.

I've made rip-roaring sour berliner with Wyeast lacto (5335) and no hops. Low gravity + low (zero) IBU. Lots of ppl love the sour though. Always wondered if I could flip the tradition: err on the low side of acidity and make a sour 'syrup' for the sour fanatics. But that's another post...

At ~5-10 IBU, a Flanders won't get too sour.

Another good point: the specific strain of lacto is important. I recommend Wyeast 5335 for lactic production. Just tried the WL strain (677) for souring a Gose and it produced mostly alcohol; tastes like boring wheat beer.

If you know your way around a sour mash/wort, go for it. I've never been able to dial it in, so I opt for pitching a lacto culture before primary fermentation.